15 Golf Practice Mistakes (And How to Fix Them Fast)
In most sports, the more you practice, the more you improve. Run more laps in basketball, and you’ll have more endurance. Shoot more free throws, and you’ll hit them under pressure. It’s the same in soccer, football, tennis—you get out what you put in.
But golf is different.
Golf doesn’t reward mindless reps. As Harvey Penick famously said in For All Who Love the Game:
“Every day I see golfers out there banging away at bucket after bucket. If I ask them what they’re doing, they say, ‘What does it look like I’m doing, Harvey? I’m practicing!’ Well, they’re getting exercise all right. But few of them are really practicing.”
We’ve all been there. Hitting balls without intention. Chipping without focus. "Practicing" but not actually improving.
Let’s change that.
15 Golf Practice Mistakes Killing Your Game
Here are common golf practice mistakes players make—and how to fix them so your time at the range, on the green, or at home actually leads to better scores on the course.
1. Not Practicing Enough
Let’s start with the obvious: if you never practice, you’ll never improve. Golf is a game of skill and confidence, and both are built through repetition.
You don’t need to practice every day, but consistency is key if you want your swing to hold up under pressure. If you’re committed to breaking 80 or even getting to scratch, no doubt you’ll need to practice even more (and avoid the rest of the mistakes).
Solution: Block time each week—even 1–2 sessions can make a huge difference when done with purpose. It’s better to spend time every day or two (even 10–15 minutes doing mirror work, speed training, or indoor putting) than trying to cram it all into one long session.
2. Not Using Alignment Sticks or Picking a Target
Alignment issues are silent swing killers. Without a target or alignment check, you can quickly build faulty patterns without realizing it.
Your body adapts to whatever you feed it—if that’s a poor setup, it’ll start compensating with inefficient swing paths. One of the biggest mistakes most people make is setting up way too far right, which tends to lead to a pull slice that kills distance and accuracy.
Solution: Use The Alignment Mirror (much better than alignment sticks) in most range sessions and pick a specific target for every shot. Read my full review here.
3. Hitting Jumbo Buckets (With No Purpose)
Hitting more balls isn’t the same as practicing better. A jumbo bucket often leads to mindless reps, fatigue, and poor tempo.
Golf rewards focused reps—not volume. If you’re making a swing change, sure, you’ll need to put in more reps. But it’s important to be intentional and not just turn into a driving range zombie.
Solution: Choose a small or medium bucket and treat every shot like you’re on the course. Pick targets, slow down, use your breathing/routines every few balls to recalibrate.
4. Hitting Too Many Mid-Irons
The 7-iron is arguably the most overused club on the range. While it feels good to stripe it, it's not where you score.
You hit it a few times per round—meanwhile, wedges and driver play a much bigger role in your scoring average. This is why I suggest to my mental golf coaching students to dial in driver specifically, as you can’t typically practice at home (like you might with putting or chipping buckets).
Solution: Spend more time with wedges, driver, and scoring clubs to make the most of your practice.
5. Never Playing Practice Holes
Most golfers stay in “mechanical mode” during practice. But to prep for the course, you need to simulate course conditions.
Playing holes on the range sharpens focus and trains decision-making—two things that don’t improve with block reps alone. This allows you to rehearse your routine, slow down, and practice like a pro.
Solution: Imagine a hole, hit the shot you'd play, and follow it up with your next one. Play 3–6 “holes” each session.
6. Ignoring Your Pre-Shot Routine
A consistent pre-shot routine is one of the few things every great golfer has in common. It helps manage nerves, quiet the mind, and prepare your body to commit to each shot.
Without it, you're leaving consistency—and confidence—up to chance. If you struggle taking your range game to the golf course, your routine (or lack thereof) might be to blame.
Solution: Practice your routine on every shot at the range until it becomes automatic on the course. Then add in your short game and putting routine for even more confidence on the golf course. Or, check out Pre-Shot Like a Pro to learn my G.A.M.E. Plan system to dial in your routines and have more consistency than ever.
7. Skipping Short Game and Putting
The fastest way to lower scores? Get better inside 100 yards. Yet, most players spend 90% of their time on the range working on longer clubs.
Putting and chipping aren’t flashy, but they’re where rounds are saved—and tournaments are won. If you tend to skip it, go to the short game area first so you’re more likely to do it and watch your score drop.
Solution: Prioritize short game in every practice session, even if it’s just 15–20 minutes.
8. Not Warming Up Before Practice
Jumping straight into full swings is a recipe for stiffness, inconsistency, and injury. A few minutes of movement and tempo swings can dramatically improve how your session starts—and how your body feels after.
Personally, I like to foam roll at home and do some light mobility or flexibility work. Then, at the range, I work slowly from wedges to irons before moving to woods.
Solution: Spend 5–10 minutes on a dynamic warm-up and short wedge shots before going full speed.
9. Not Having a Practice Plan
Random practice leads to random results. Without a clear structure, it’s easy to bounce from drill to drill and leave with more questions than answers.
Great players treat every session with intention and have a strategy to improve.
Solution: Have a plan before you arrive so you don’t waste time and money. (Need help? Get 50+ game-ready sessions inside Practice Formula.)
10. Always Making Swing Changes
Constantly chasing a “new feel” is one of the fastest ways to stay stuck. Your brain and body need time to adapt—especially when making a real change.
If you’re always switching, you’re never grooving and likely never trusting your swing on the golf course. The truth is your swing is good enough right now to shoot 5–7 shots better for most golfers, it just comes down to other pillars of Wicked Smart Golf (course management, putting, short game, and mental game).
Solution: Pick one thing to work on and commit to it for multiple sessions before evaluating results.
11. Not Creating a Wedge Matrix
Wedge distance control is one of the most overlooked skills in amateur golf. Most players guess their yardages—and it shows in missed greens and inconsistent scoring.
A wedge matrix (3 wedges × 3 swing lengths) gives you nine stock shots you can rely on. Since adding this to my arsenal, I’ve gained so much more confidence inside 75 yards and wish I would’ve done it sooner.
Solution: Build your matrix and track carry distances for each combo. You'll instantly gain confidence inside 100 yards.
12. Neglecting the Putting Green
The putting green is where scores are made—or destroyed. Yet it’s often the most ignored area in practice.
Rolling putts without purpose won’t help you sink more on the course. Instead, try out the best putting aids I’ve mentioned, focus on short putts for confidence, and longer putts to eliminate annoying three putts.
Solution: Practice short putts, long lag putts, and pressure drills regularly to build confidence and consistency.
13. Never Recording Your Swing
Without visual feedback, it’s hard to catch swing flaws or see progress. You don’t need a coach to improve—you just need awareness.
Tools like the iRange Sports Stick make filming easy and consistent. Get some footage down the line and face on so you can document the journey and learn to “swing your swing.”
Solution: Record your swing often from down-the-line and face-on to stay on top of your mechanics.
14. Worrying About Other Golfers
It’s easy to get self-conscious at the range, but the truth is—no one’s watching. Comparing yourself to others only creates distraction and doubt.
Remember, it’s you vs. your former self, the opinion of others doesn’t matter!
Solution: Stick to your plan, stay in your lane, and remember your practice is for your game—not anyone else’s.
15. Not Having Fun
If your practice isn’t enjoyable, you won’t stick with it—and without consistency, it’s nearly impossible to see real improvement. Practice shouldn’t feel like a chore, as you’re an amateur, not a pro.
Add a layer of fun by challenging yourself with new drills, competing with a friend, tracking your progress over time, and celebrating the small wins along the way. The more fun you have, the more motivated you'll be to keep showing up.
Solution: Add games, variety, and competition to your sessions to stay motivated and engaged.
Final Thoughts: Practice Smart, Not Just Hard
Golf is one of the only sports where more practice doesn’t guarantee better performance—unless that practice is smart.
Avoid these 15 mistakes and you’ll see more progress, more confidence, and more results.
Want a proven system to structure your sessions, build consistency, and stop wasting time at the range?
👉Click here to learn more about the Practice Formula and get 50+ ready-to-use practice plans, a 90-minute masterclass, and a clear roadmap to practice like a pro. 
